Dyeing machine



1943. w. E. ROWLANDSQN. JR ,332,346

' DYEING MACHINE Filed June 12, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 19, 1943. w. E. ROWLANDS-ON, JR

DYEING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 12, 1942 Patented Oct. 2 19, 1943 s PATENT) mm p DYEING MACHINE c 3 illiams. Rowlandson, In, Lowell, Mass.

Application June i2, 1942, Serial No. 446,713 Claims. (01. sa -51 This invention relates to dyeing machines and more particularly to the indigo-dyeing of fabrics in continuous I strip form; Indigo-dyeing has withajsuperior uniformity heretofore impossible ,andto'the :end of producing .fabric of even shade Y and superior color character throughout.

My invention contemplates a dyeing machine employing a tank and means for conducting a continuous strip of fabric therethrough in a plurality of substantially'vertical loops, together with meansfor circulating the dyeing liquid through the tank and fabric in a manner keeping the entire liquid of uniform character and impregnating the fabric :uniformly throughout its length. The dye circulatingjmeans. embodies-a mixing reservoir outside of. the tank and a novel piping arrangement therefrom. to the tank together with means for drawing the liquid from the fabric loop areas open tothe bottom ,of the tank and delivering it to-the loopareas open to the topof the tank, wherebykeeping the liquid fully agitated and uniform and circulating -it through the fabric located between the said areas. Means is provided for feeding fresh dye to the-reservoir, thoroughlymixing it with the dye bath therein and bringing the mixture uniformly to the dyeing tank and into contact with the fabric, together with the provision of ;means whereby the liquid can be observed'and kept in the necessary condition by the addition of fresh dye and chemicals in accordance. with therequirements' indicated by its'color.v 4 1 Other features of the invention relate-to the complete submergence of the fabric in the dyeing liquid throughout the entire operation while alternately squeezing-and exposing the fabricto the liquid whereby completely to impregnate it with dye while maintaining the. fabric and dye from exposure to'the air which would cause oxi-' dation of the liquid and crocking or smudging of the fabric. The production of .a new and improved dyeing method and machine embodying these and'other novelfeatures hereinafter more specifically described comprises a further object of the invention.

These and other features of, the invention will be best unders'toodandappreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig.'1 is a'plan view of a dyeing machine embodying my invention,

Fig. 2'is a side elevation thereof, Fig. 3 .is a longitudinal; sectional view taken. on the line 3-3 df'Fig. 1,

In thedrawings I0 indicates a tank of rectan gular configuration." Mounted within and. ex- I tending transversely across the tank adjacent to its bottom are" a: plurality of fabric-supporting' rolls I2, and in alternating relation thereto adjacent to the top of the tank are a plurality of like ro1ls I4- The rolls I2 are supported in fixedbearings at their ends andithe rolls Mare supported by end trunnions I5 in U-shaped guideways. IS. The rolls are-adapted to support a continuous strip I8 of fabric in a plurality of substantially vertical loops around the rolls, the loops over the bottom rolls I2 being open-to the top of the tank andthe loops over the top rolls I 4 being open to the'bottom of the tank. 'The fabric strip passes into the tank over a supporting roll and passes out of the tank between, a pair of squeeze rolls 22-24 supported for rotation-by end trunnions in vertical guideways 26. Also supportedby end'trunnions in theguide ways I6 are squeeze rolls 28 resting of their own weight'in peripheral contact with 1311610115114,- all of'the rolls, I2, I4 and 28 being located well within and below the top of the tank. The strip I8 is drawn through the tank by the squeeze rolls 2Z-24v and by the mid-pair of rolls I l-28,

a chain or belt 30 being adapted to drive the mid-roll I4 from the roll 22 at equal surface speeds. The roll 22 can be driven from any convenient source of power. The tank is filled with dyeing liquid to a level fully submerging the rolls I2, I4 and 28 and is keptat the proper rtemperature bya steam pipe 32 in the tank beneath therollsIZ. a

Cooperating with the tank and extendinghorizontally along one side wall of the machine outside the tank is a mixing reservoir having .an upper porti0n 34 and a lower portion 36. The reservoir conveniently comprises two relatively large pipes 34 and 36 connected intermediate of-their ends by a pipe 38 having a circulating pump Ml therein and alsoga glass observation portion 42 above the pump; A pipe connection 44 is also made to the pipe 38 below the pump, the pipe 44 extending upwardly to a source of fresh dye supply and having a flow-controlling -valvey46 therein. I

Pipes 43 in communication with the lower reservoir portion 36 extend into the tank and transverselytherethrough between the rolls I2 dye supply entrances 44. To this end the pipes" 52 join the pipe 34 at points 56 equally spaced from the pipe 44, and the pipe sections 58' con necting the pipes 52 to the pipes 34- are all of equal length. I

Indigo-dyeing embodies requirements and con-- ditions peculiar to itself and the degree to which these are satisfied is quite reflected in the perfection of the product. The machine herein described and comprising myinveriti'onhas-been developed to the end of satisfying these requirements to the maximum and especially in the dyeing of continuous strip fabric.

The rolls l2 and 14- are arranged to support the fabric in a plurality of zig zag loops in the tank} the loopsbeing substantially vertical, i. e. up anddown rather than horizontal, and extend ing from a position Well toward the bottom of the tank to a position approaching the top thereof.

Each 'roil I 2 and I4 supportstwo reaches :65! of fabric and each such reach is located between a looparea of a roll [2 open to the-top of the tank and a loop area of a roll l4 open to the bottom of the tank. The pipes 43 are located the loop areas below the rolls M and are adapted to draw dye from the tank, and the pipes 52 are located in the loop areas above the rolls I 2 and are adapted to returnjthedye'to the tank. a The tank is well filled with the dyeing liquid td a level; completely submerging all the rolls l2, M and 28 and the pipes 38" and 52, and also completely filling the reservoir 3 43=8;' As the strip I8 is drawn through the tank, thecirculating dye is continuously passed through the reachesBO whereby thoroughly impregnating the fabric, it being understood, illustrated in Fig. 1, that the rolls I2, [4 and 28 and the fabric strip there-' on extend substantially across the entire width of the tank whereby requiring the dyeing liquid to pass through the fabric in its circulation from the pipes 52 to the pipes" 48. The impregnated fabric thereupon passes through and between the squeeze rolls M-28 which expresses the dye therefrom, the several alternately operating saturating and expressing steps which take place as the fabric passes'throu'gh the tank serving thoroughlyto impregnate the fabric; Furthermore, the entire operation takes place Wholly beneath the bath and without exposure to the air, thus not only preventing oxidation of the dyeingliquid and keeping it in maximum reduced state but also preventing crocking and other like deleterious effects caused on the fabric when it is exposed to the air during the dyeing treat Inent.

The circulating mechanism, including the upper and lower reservoir portions 34 and 36, is arranged to keep the dye'ing liquid to maximum uniformity. The pipes 48, being slotted in their lowermost portions 50, serve to pick up any heavier-portions which might tend tosettle in the tank and circulate the same through the reservoir wherein the liquid is quite thoroughly agitated and rendered thoroughly uniform asit is returned to the tank. The pipes 52, being perforated therearound, serve to spray-the liquid into the bath whereby aiding further in agitating the liquid and keeping it uniform. The character of the bath is determined primarily by its color and the introduction of the observation glass 42 within the reservoir perm-its the operator to keep closecheck thereon and add fresh dye as needed. It will be observed that this fresh dye is added ahead of the pump 40 whereby aiding its thorough mixing in the bath before it 1-0 comes in contact with the fabric.

,noted that the liquid passing through the pump is required to travel equal distances through pipes 58 to the several pipes 52 whereby further supplementing uniformity of the dying operation.

Having thus disclosed my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A dyeing machine comprising a tank for holding a dyeing liquid, means for conducting 20 a continuous strip' of fabric in a plurality of substantially vertical loops through the tank, a dyeholding and mixing reservoir outside the tank and includingupper and lower portions respectively adjacent to the top an'd bottom of the 2.5 tank and extending horizontally therealong, pipes extending from the upper portions into and through the top portions of the tank along and in the loop areas open thereto and from the lower portion into and through the bottom por- 30 tion of the tank along and in the loop areas open thereto, the portions of the pipes Within the tanks being perforated along the loop areas, and means for circulating liquid dye in one direction through the reservoir, pipes and tank.

2. The machine defined in claim 1 in which the last named means comprises a circulating pump in the reservoir between said upper and lower portions thereof.

3. The machine defined in claim 1 plus means 4 for feeding fresh d-ye into the reservoir between said upper and lower portions thereof.

4. A dyeing machine comprising a tank for holding a dyeing liquid, means for conducting a. continuous'strip of fabric in a plurality of relatively spaced reaches through the tank, a dye holding reservoir outside the tank, means for feeding fresh dye into the reservoir, and means for circulating the liquid from the reservoir through the tank and including a plurality of reservoir to tank conducting pipes having perforated portions extending into the tank and through areas adjacent to said reaches, said pipes being in communication with the reservoir at substantially equal dye-flowing distances from the fresh dye-receiving entrance into the reser- V011.

5.- A dyeing machine comprising a tank for holding a'dyeing liquid, means for conducting a continuous strip of fabric in a, plurality of substantially vertical loops through the tank, a dye holding reservoir outside'the tank and extending horizontally therealong, means for feeding fresh dye into the reservoir, and means for cir culating the liquid from the reservoir through the tank and'including a plurality of pipes having perforated portions extending into and through the top portion ofthe tank along and in the loop areas open thereto, said pipes being in communication with the reservoir at equal distances from the fresh dye-receiving entrance thereinto and the lengths of said pipes outside the tank being equal.

WILLIAM EDWARD ROWLANDSON,J1".

It will also be, 

